Browse by Theme: Private Sector

Profitable public sector enterprises (PSEs) in India play a visible, frontline and powerful role in the government's roll-out measures to encourage responsible businesses practices in the country. They have made concerted efforts in the last few years to consciously transition from unsustainable ways of functioning to adopt socially and environmentally sustainable practices.

This report outlines ways which PSEs in India can support an impactful CSR framework in India.

"She Means Business" is a new tool to help companies operating in India empower women and promote gender equality.

The new toolkit:

• Reviews the status of women in 10 sectors across India
• Outlines key national legal and economic frameworks on gender in the private sector
• Provides detailed guidance on actions companies can take to empower women

Is there a business case for worker empowerment? New evidence suggests the answer is yes. Twenty-three tea estates partnering with CARE International Sri Lanka have successfully implemented Community Development Forums, which are ‘mini-parliaments’ that facilitate dialogue between workers, management and the broader community. The model opens up new channels of communication between stakeholders across the plantation region, serving as a forum where collective decisions about community development priorities and labour conditions are negotiated and decided in a transparent way.

An independent assessment by the New Economics Foundation showed that that there was a 1:26 return on investment for estates, plus additional gains for workers and the community.

How can inclusive business contribute to building new markets and stronger supply chains? This publication highlights examples from Bangladesh.

Despite the many benefits that CARE’s Village Savings and Loans schemes bring to poor communities, they are not a panacea. As groups mature they seek the security of a bank account, or wish for larger loans than the group can provide. This report looks at eight different models that CARE has explored to connect savings groups with formal financial services. Including Barclays, Vision Finance, Vodacom and Mwanga Community Bank, Orange and Equity Bank and Jubilee Insurance.

High uptake of savings, credit and insurance products have allayed concerns that products might prove too expensive for very poor communities. A total of 4,200 groups, or 105,000 individuals have been linked to the new products developed. Businesses too are benefitting, with increased customer bases and strong repayment rates. The report does recognise however, that overall transaction costs of linking savings groups to formal institutions remains high, albeit mobile banking offers opportunities to reduce this cost. The report also recommends that customer protection must be maintained. It outlines a set of ‘Linkage Principles’ that CARE has designed to help guard their interests.

This report by Banking on Change partners Barclays, CARE International and Plan UK examines the barriers to financial inclusion in developing countries. It also looks at the potential boost to the global economy that large-scale financial inclusion represents, estimating that developing countries could receive a yearly savings boost of up to $145bn if the 2.5 billion adults worldwide who are ‘unbanked’ participate in savings-led microfinance. The report also calls for financial inclusion to be a key part of the post-2015 development agenda.

Evidence from the Bangladesh dairy sector demonstrates that strategically sourcing from and selling to low-income farmers helped businesses sustain reliable supply chains, enhance market opportunity, and ultimately increase profits.